PADRES-NATIONALS: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

Stephen Strasburg pitched at Petco Park while he was with San Diego State. The West Hills High grad makes his first professional appearance at the downtown ballpark in tonight’s series opener. He has lacked for run support this season, going 1-5 despite a 3.10 ERA. In his only previous start against the Padres, he surrendered four runs on seven hits in four innings.

Cy Young worthy

He’s no Strasburg, and that’s not a bad thing. Not this season, the way Jordan Zimmermann has been pitching. Saturday, the Nationals’ No. 3 starter takes the mound, where he’ll likely be looking the part of a No. 1. He’s a legitimate Cy Young contender, sporting a 7-1 record and a 1.69 ERA. In two career starts at Petco, he has given up just one run over 13 innings while striking out 16. Admirers of premier pitching will soak in this series; sandwiched between Strasburg and Zimmermann’s starts will be All-Star Gio Gonzalez.

Take II

Burch Smith’s major-league debut went from promising to disastrous. Pitching in Tropicana Field, he struck out two in a fun first inning, only to never record another out and concede six runs (all earned). The talented righty gets another shot Friday against a dangerous but underperforming lineup. With Clayton Richard’s impending return from the disabled list, it may be Smith’s last shot — at least for now. His meteoric rise through the Padres’ organization shouldn’t stop here.

Home, sweet home

The Padres have won nine of their last 10 games at home, including four straight. Over their last four Petco contests, they’ve outscored opponents 16-2. And while playing the likes of Miami doesn’t quite compare with facing Washington, the Padres did sweep visiting San Francisco in late April.

Running question

For all their pitching, the Nationals haven’t mustered the offense to match. Not even close, really. Entering Wednesday, they were hitting .230 and averaging 3.5 runs per game, good for third-lowest in the league. Bryce Harper is already building a case for MVP, but the rest of the lineup has struggled, with both injury and ineffectiveness, around him. The Padres’ offense, averaging 3.8 runs per game entering Wednesday, hasn’t been much better. Petco wouldn’t seem the setting for an offensive explosion by either team, but with the Padres’ rotation, you can never be too sure.